


It's Bad Luck to Say Good Luck

by Coconutice22



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Actor AU, Actor Castiel (Supernatural), Actor Dean Winchester, Alternate Universe - Human, Bottom Dean, Destiel - Freeform, M/M, Shower Sex, centauricorns
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-16
Updated: 2017-01-16
Packaged: 2018-09-18 00:23:04
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 20,244
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9353945
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Coconutice22/pseuds/Coconutice22
Summary: Child acting star Dean Winchester is all grown up and out to prove his worth in his first proper adult audience film.And everything is good - except, the film's a total disaster and he's sure it will mark the end of his career.But, hey, at least his co-star is kinda cute...





	

**Author's Note:**

> I envisioned this being like 4,000 words at the very most. Um. So that didn't happen. 
> 
> Written in three days and not beta read due to time constraints. I apologise heartily for all the inevitable mistakes and welcome any notes on typos.

“Dean, why am I readin' that your new film's a horse porno? What the fuck?”

Dean rolled his eyes and slumped back on his bed, regretting ever answering the phone. If he angled his body just right the phone would stay in place over his ear and he wouldn't have to hold it and expand even more energy on this conversation.

“It's not, Uncle Bobby.”

“And you're dating your co-star?” Bobby barked.

“Where are you even reading this?” It was way too early in the morning and he was way too hungover to be dealing with this.

“It's all over the papers, boy! What, you thought I'd taken out a subscription to _Gossip Monthly_? No need for that right now. You're making front page news.”

Dean groaned. “Lots of us were there for the dinner. It was a farewell from the studio to all the cast and crew, basically a wrap party.”

“For the horse porno film.”

“He's a centaur,” Dean huffed.

“I ain't got the proper response to that, Dean,” Bobby said flatly after a moment.

“Me either,” Dean sighed.

“Well, if you're sure the film's on the level–”

“It is, Bobby. The horse porno thing is probably just the PR company trying to boost publicity.”

“Fine... fine. Call me next time or somthin', alright? So I don't have to be calling you. I ain't seen you in months now, and then this.”

“I will,” said Dean, trying not to sound too petulant. But he was tired, and Bobby _was_ definitely over reacting.

“Bye, kid. See you tonight for that big premiere – assuming I'm still getting a ticket?”

Dean chuckled quietly, “Of course you are, old man, I ain't missing out on an excuse to see you in a monkey suit. I've got someone going to the airport to pick you, mom, and dad up in a few hours.”

“You better have,” he grumbled affectionately.

“Bye, Bobby.”

Bobby hung up.

“Who's that?” a groggy voice spoke up, muffled by the pillow.

 _Crap._ Dean had really hoped he'd been the only one woken by his phone ringing.

“Just my uncle, no need to worry.”

“Did you say horse porn?” Dean's bedfellow croaked in his soft, just woken-up voice.

Dean chuckled, “Yeah.”

“Should I be worried?”

“Suuush, it doesn't matter. Just the press being jerks, or the studio being jerks.” Whatever the case, it certainly wasn't worth talking about right now.

Dean ran a hand over his bed mate's hair, smoothing it, enjoying the feel of its silky texture under his fingers. He remembered doing the same thing last night, and again a few hours ago.

“M'kay.”

Castiel snuggled down deeper in the and drifted back off to sleep. Dean watched Castiel, observing the rise and fall of his chest beautifully highlighted by the faint morning sun making its way through a crack in the curtains.

In his dreams, Castiel could momentarily forget all that was yet to come.

Dean, now firmly awake however, felt nothing but nausea and dread.

 

*******

_**Eight months earlier** _

 

Dean Winchester, child star, had signed up for this film thinking it would be his big break into films for a more mature audience. He and his brother Sam had been in a series of successful child-centered action films. When Sam had decided to retire from the movie business, Dean had found himself at a loss for what to do. He felt the critics ( _especially_ the chief douchebag from _Metatron.com_ ) were waiting to pounce and declare he didn't actually have any acting talent after all. Becky Rosen (of _MrsSamWinchester.com_ ) was also ready to tear down Dean whenever she could.

By the time he himself had hit 21 and Sam had just turned 17, the boys had stared in seven Jones Brothers films. The premise for all were fairly similar. The brothers (playing brothers), defeated evil while somehow making it through life.

Their characters, Logan and Jess, had been orphaned at a young age and left in the care of their aunts. The first film started with the two brothers discovering their parents (top government scientists) had actually been murdered and that their deaths weren't accidents after all. The brothers sought revenge only to get their little pre-teen butts kicked. They then discovered that their aunts were secretly spies for the government, who had met and fallen in love - and later married - while in service together. The aunts trained up the boys, passing on their skills and remained as their mentors throughout the film series.

There was always a moment in every one of their films when one of them would be in peril and the other brother would cry over them. The fact they were brothers in reality seemed to give the situation an added depth of emotion. It was sort of their trademark in the films.

But ultimately, of course, the brothers would save the day.

There'd been a lot of upset when Sam announced he wouldn't renew his contract for more. Dean's younger brother just wasn't interested in continuing in Hollywood – or not at least until after he'd secured a degree or two.

The studio tried to convince Dean to stay on, do another film by himself. Dean had considered it, but ultimately knew the fans would be disappointed. Plus, to have one brother and not the other? It would just sound like they'd have to kill off Logan and killing off one brother would have upset too many.

That didn't mean Dean had any idea what he wanted to do with his life. So much of his time growing up had been these films that he'd never really thought about it. He'd been offered a few roles. Nothing had seemed right though. Dean's only direction in life was his strong desire to show that he was more than just some former child actor. Aged 22, Dean Winchester wanted to make a name for himself as more than just a kid.

And then the script for _The Last of Their Kind_ was given to him by his agent. The script was _perfect_ , exactly what Dean had been looking for. It was, Dean had to admit, another action film, but the action took place in the Amazon. It was about saving the last of the rain forest, set in a universe where all but a small section had been destroyed.

There was a highly environmental and political message, but without being overly preachy. And to keep the film from being considered hypocritical, the entire thing was going to be carbon neutral by staging everything on a set and using green screen to add most background elements. Which also meant no travel and that they should be able to keep to the film's tight schedule.

The real draw for Dean was that his co-star was to be a veteran of the action-adventure genre, Anna Milton. There was absolutely no way he could turn down working with her and not regret it.

It all sounded so great he signed a contract a week later.

He should have known when the script writer walked through the first cast rehearsal in just his tighty-whiteys and an untied dressing gown, while he clutched a bottle of whiskey in one hand, that something was deeply wrong.

 

*******

 

“They are telling me to rip up my beautiful masterpiece and torture it!” Chuck Shurley announced to the cast, who had been assembled for a first read through. “I might as well puke on it now, because that's what it will become.”

True to his word, he then proceeded to vomit all over one of the supporting actors, including his script. Bits of puke remained in his beard as security dragged him off muttering and mumbling to himself.

Someone from the studio had apologized on Chuck's behalf. They also advised that the studio wanted to do something else with the script so to expect changes.

Dean had thought this odd, but next to Chuck's behavior, he barely remembered being told there'd be changes until a new revised script has landed in front of him a few days later.

They were at another production meeting, their second after the failed first attempt. Key actors, Chuck, and Bela Talbot (who was there on behalf of the studio), were all sat around a large table.

The director was absent since they still had to secure one of those.

This should have been yet another warning signal to Dean, but he hadn't realized this yet.

Flicking through the script, Dean was happy to note much of the dialogue remained the same. He wasn't very sure what had actually changed in the film until he read a scene opening.

 _Centaurs._ The film was now about centaurs. And not just plain centaurs, a centaur-unicorn hybrid. _Centauricorns._ A centaur with a unicorn horn.

What. The. Fuck.

It was really no wonder Chuck had lost it last time.

“No one has ever done centaurs before,” Bela Talbot explained to the assembled group. “We want to do with centaurs what  _Interview with a Vampire_  did for vampires.”

“Or what _Fifty Shades of Grey_  is to BDSM,” Chuck muttered darkly. He'd at least put on a t-shirt and sweatpants this time round.

“Is this not tipping into _Avatar_ territory?” Anna asked. “All this CGI to change the actors...”

“I know the changes look like a lot, but really it is for the best,” Bela assured the group. “In fact, the studio is increasing the budget another $100 million, that's how much faith we have in this.”

“More like you're throwing money at a problem you should have foreseen,” Chuck grumbled.

“You, Mr. Shurley, need to be quiet,” Bela hissed at him.

“This is not my fault,” Chuck spat back, putting his palms out towards her while shaking his hands and head. “Not. My. Fault.

“They discovered that someone stole my original screenplay and now another company is making it.” Chuck explained to the others.

“We can't prove it was stolen, unfortunately. So we're stuck with the re-writes,” Bela added.

“Those fuckers,” Chuck mumbled, reaching into the bag at his feet and pulling out another bottle. He took a long draw straight from the bottle.

Bela rolled her eyes at his display and sat up straighter. “Whatever the case, we can't let this get to us. We're lucky we found about it when we did. So now we can start to fix things. Our intention is to shorten the post-production time as well so we can get this out two weeks before the rip-off movie. We go out looking like the heroes, they look like the lame remake.”

She looked over at Anna. “Anna, we're all so grateful to have you here.” There was a moment of enthusiastic clapping from the assembled group.

Anna had been a star in many video game movie adaptions. Some more successful than others, but she'd developed herself as the go-to action lead for the last few years and Dean felt genuinely honored to be playing opposite her.

Anna dipped her head in acknowledgment of the kind words.

“I'm glad to be here, and can't wait to hear more about this unicorn–”

“ _Centuricorns_ is the official term,” Bela cut in. “We need a trademarkable character. I need you to all get into the habit of calling the creatures this as early as possible.”

“Er, right,” Anna stumbled. “The world of the centaur...icorns.”

“They're a metaphor, a hybrid of all the animals and humans put in danger by our reckless destruction of the rain forests. Except now we can't use the Amazon because of trademark issues with _that_ Amazon,” Bela further explained. “So we're going with a sort of generic rain forest. Chuck is still working on the details for that.”

Chuck scoffed and drew a few more glugs from his bottle. “Sure, sure. Me, an Academy winning screenwriter, making up forests. Why not.”

“What we think is exciting,” Bela continued, ignoring Chuck, “is that in our version, we're going for a more... naturalistic centauricorn.”

Garth, a major role in the second half of the film, and an actor Dean was curious to get to know spoke up next. “Meaning what exactly? I was wondering that, the schedule says I'm to be... waxed... below?”

Upon hearing this, Dean quickly flicked through to his schedule notes and let out a breath of relief when he found out he wasn't also scheduled to be waxed.

“Ah, Mr Fitzgerald–”

“You can just call me Garth, ma'am.”

“Well, Garth. By naturalistic, we mean, we've decided to put on show some tasteful naturalism. The human body and beast as they would be in nature, without clothes. We want to separate ourselves from Disney in this regard, make this a more raw take on the centauricorn than anyone else would dare do.”

“You mean my tackles going to be out there, free as the wind?” Garth wondered.

Benny Lafitte, who was sat to Dean's left, turned a laugh into a poorly disguised cough.

“No, no, nothing like that. We do need to make a mold though, thus the waxing. We'll have models made up, and the CGI will take care of most of it. We don't want you to be on show all the time. Just at moments of great... suspense.”

Silence settled over the table.

“And who exactly is playing human, and who is playing one of the horse–”

“Centuricorns,” repeated Bela.

“Yes, whatever, one of those?” asked Fergus Crowley, another actor Dean had been keen to work with upon signing up for the project.

“Well,” Bela explained, “If your script has a green cover, you're a human, if you have a blue cover, you're now a centauricorn.”

The actors all at once looked on the covers of their scripts.

 _Green_ , thought Dean with some relief.

“Oh brother,” Benny sighed. Dean took a peak and saw Benny had a blue cover. In fact, most of the people at the table had blue covers.

“I'm a _centauricorn_?” Came the shocked question from Anna.

“Yes!” said Bela joyfully. “And you are our leader in their war.”

Anna didn't look convinced, thumbing through her pages.

“And am I expected to also have myself on show, if these gentlemen are all to be without pants and shirt?”

“Ah, for you we're thinking topless as well, but nothing lower down, we'll cover that tastefully. But the nipples–”

“I don't do nudity. I have a strict clause about it.”

“It doesn't necessarily have to be _your_ body,” Bela placated. “We have ways of getting around that.”

“I do not do nudity,” Anna repeated in firmer tones. “I'm sorry everyone, but I cannot be a part of this.”

With that, Anna stood up and walked out of the room.

“I've never had my balls waxed before,” Dean could hear Garth saying. “Huh, I wonder if I'll like it.”

 

*******

 

  
With no completed script due to their writer's ever increasing dependence on alcohol, no lead actress, and no director, Dean thought perhaps the film would fall through.

Anna had easily been able to negotiate her way out of the contract. _Her_ agent had been smart enough to know that clauses for events such as this were required. Dean's agent and lawyer, meanwhile, had only ever had to deal with his movie franchise contracts in the past, and they'd all been mostly standard after the first film.

So while Anna and a few other people had managed to get themselves out, Dean was stuck. Garth, Benny, and two actress he'd never worked with before, Donna Hanscum and Jody Mills, and himself were all that remained from the original cast of ten.

Jody, Donna, and Dean were the only major roles left who were playing humans. But without a lead for the centauricorns, Dean wasn't sure how the film was ever going to go ahead. He thought at many points they'd just cancel the film and he could go onto something else, laughing at the lessons learned about contracts and warning signs of doomed films.

Instead, they managed last moment to get a director. Gabriel Plaisantin was welcomed on board. He was known mostly for directing commercials, but must have known some deep secrets of the studio bosses to get his first movie directing gig be film with as big of a budget as _The Last of Their Kind_.

With still no finished script to work from, and now already a month behind shooting, Dean went into filming at last. It was decided that since the post-production work would take so long, they were better off filming what they could now, and working out the rest as it came.

By the end of the first day, Jody had asked if Dean and Donna wanted to go out drinking. They'd all readily agreed.

Filming the movie had turned into nothing like Dean had done before. Sure, he'd done some green screen, but this? This was almost entirely that.

Besides the fact they were not filming on location so that the film could retain its self-proclaimed environmentally friendly credentials, half the people he was meant to be acting with were currently made of little green balls on sticks. He thought he'd actually be working with all the cast together, however, it turned out that because of the special way they had to film the humans playing the centauricorns, the humans and centauricorns all had to be shot separately.

As they still had no leading female, the centauricorn actors hadn't even started filming their stuff yet. It meant Dean got to spend a lot of time with Donna and Jody and grew to like them very quickly.

Sitting in Jody's trailer at the end of their first week, the three of them commiserated each other.

“To the end of our careers!” Jody cheered, holding up a glass of wine.

“To the end of our careers,” Dean chimed in.

“To my career never starting,” added Donna pitifully.

They clinked glasses.

“This won't be the end of your careers though,” Donna told them thoughtfully, halfway through their second bottle of wine. “You're both big names. You'll get through this. Me, on the other hand? I'm going to go down as centauricorn hunter _Missy_.”

She sounded and looked miserable. Jody slung an arm over Donna's shoulders.

“Don't look so glum. This won't end your career,” she tried to reassure the blonde.

“Ha!” Donna took another mouthful of wine, and then another, and then a third. “The script is a mess. You know, I've heard Chuck's being put into rehab?”

“They'll just get another writer,” Dean shrugged. “If it ends up really bad, the studio will push it down and the only people who will know about it after release are the weirdos who buy straight to DVD kinda films,” Dean said, trying to sound matter of fact about the whole thing.

Truthfully, he was just ad-libbing what Sam had told him when Dean called him in a state after the first day of filming with the same fears as Donna.

“Dean's right, Donna. And besides, if we're lucky they might never finish the film. I heard they still have to get a lead for the horsies.”

“ _Centauricorns_ ,” both Dean and Donna chimed in at once.

“Yeah, yeah,” said Jody rolling her eyes. “Dumbest. Name. Ever.”

“I'm hungry,” Donna sighed, slouching. “I hate this movie star diet thing. They have whole tables of catering food and I can't touch any of it.”

Jody grinned wickedly. “Considering how much we've drank tonight, I think some burgers are called for.”

Dean patted his tummy, “Gotta say, I agree.”

“We can't! Or at least, I can't,” Donna argued.

“If we all eat burgers, we all gain the same, and then there'll be no difference on the camera,” Jody reasoned.

Donna thought this through a moment.

“Well...”

“Jody's right, Donna. None of us can have burgers unless we all get burgers.”

Donna grabbed her phone. “Fine, I'll order, but if anyone asks, I'm blaming you two.”

 

*******

 

What started as a single diet-breaking burger ended up turning into a habit. Dean also stopped training as much. Unlike the centauricorn actors, he wasn't required to be even slightly naked and had loose clothing on to hide any changes in his physique.

By the end of the shoot six weeks later, Dean was probably at his heaviest weight ever, and finding it hard to care. Wardrobe hadn't dared complain more than once about having to refit the three after the telling off they got from Jody about the pressures placed on actors.

Feeling sad, Dean hugged Donna and Jody in turn when they said their goodbyes. It was only to be a temporary parting of the ways as they all knew they'd be back in a few weeks for ADR and any reshoots needed. Until then, Dean had a few weeks off while the centaur (“- _icorns_ , centauricorns, Dean, you need to get this into your head”, Dean could hear Bela correcting) side of things was shot.

Unsure what to do with himself, Dean traveled back to see his folks for a little while. He told them the film had gone well, but production had been so troubled he wasn't sure if it would ever make it to release.

“So long as you get paid,” his dad had decided, and that was really the end of that discussion.

Dean had nodded, agreeing. Not realizing his dad hadn't known his pay was in part to be a percentage of box office returns on the film. He _seriously_ needed a new agent and lawyer for that fuck up.

Considering their sons had brought in millions of dollars at the movie box office, no one would ever suspect that John and Mary Winchester were anything but normal folk. Other than the one room they had that contained a big merchandise collection from the movies their sons had been in, their house was otherwise pretty normal.

Dean and Sam had thought the merchandise room was lame as kids, embarrassing, but their parents had always insisted they'd be glad to have it in the future.

Looking wistfully through some of the action figures one afternoon, Dean thought maybe they were already correct in thinking he'd find it nice. Losing himself in nostalgia for an afternoon gave Dean time to reflect on what he really wanted from the future. For the time being, he concluded, he just wanted to see his brother.

After a couple of days of being a bum at his childhood home, Dean traveled on to see Sammy where he was holed-up in New York studying. He spent his days at Sam's fancy apartment reading while the kid was in class, and their evenings playing video games – when Sam wasn't studying, that is.

On Dean's second to last night in town, the two had caused something of a sensation around downtown when they decided to go out drinking together.

A lot of the kids who had been young when they started making Jones Bros films were of college age now and desperate for photographs with the two. They didn't mind stopping to take hundreds of photos so long as the good times continued to roll. Hell, it was a bit of a boost to his ego, and Dean needed that after the weirdness of the film set he'd come off.

“It isn't like this when I'm in class,” Sam told Dean after. “At least not now the original shock has worn off for most the kids.”

Dean laughed and ruffled Sam's hair. “Sure, Sammy. They're probably all over you to hear about your Hollywood film career.”

Seeing how happy Sam was in his new environment, Dean couldn't help but feel proud of his brother for stepping out of his comfort zone and doing something different with his life. No part of Dean had ever been resentful for Sam wanting to stop when he did. Dean in fact had felt a little envious at how easy Sam made living in the real world look.

When he still hadn't had a call from the studio asking him to go back to the film, Dean decided to make his next stop his Uncle Bobby's place.

Bobby, his uncle in every way but blood, lived just a few hours from Dean's parents. He ran a junkyard and was an essential part of why Sam and Dean had been able to grow up so level headed.

He helped Bobby out during his stay, doing as he and Sam had as children on their holidays: deconstructing old wrecks of cars for scrap, doing some inventory, fixing fences, whatever Bobby needed. It was the perfect way to clear his mind while he tried to figure what he wanted to do with his life after the film finished in proper. All he knew for now was that he wanted to completely finish his filming before he even started looking for a new project.

After two weeks at Bobby's, his agent finally called to tell him he was due back on set Monday to finish off _The Last of Their Kind_. They thought they had about a week of re-shooting to do, maybe a little more.

Out of curiosity, on the plane trip back to LA, Dean Googled the film. A few sources had picked up that production was going poorly, that Anna had left, that the director was a novice to this format. To Dean's surprise, he read that Chuck had been _supplemented_ (which Dean took to mean replaced), by a young screen writer by the name of Kevin Tran, who supposedly had been apprenticing Chuck until recently.

Oh, and that his new star was a little known actor by the name of _Castiel_. Odd name, Dean thought, wondering what she might be like.

 

*******

 

“You don't have an ending, do you?” Jody asked the production team bluntly.

First day of what was meant to be reshoots, they'd been given a bunch of new pages to learn.

“We have an ending, don't worry about that,” their director Gabriel replied with a wink.

It was a wink Dean was starting to grow irritated with as it usually meant Gabriel was lying about something, such as “We just need _one_ last take”, which Dean learned meant at least five.

“That's sort of the problem,” said a miserable sounding Kevin, their new writer. “We have too many endings.”

“Everything will be fine,” chirped up the ever unflappable Bela. “We're going to film the three endings we have, and then decide after what works best.”

“Will we be shooting _any_ of this film with the other actors?” Dean had to ask. It'd been bugging him that he hadn't seen Benny and Garth again since very early on, let alone met Anna's replacement. The whole process felt too unnatural to Dean. “I have no idea what sort of emotional level to take this stuff to as I can't tell who we're acting against.”

“And that's why you're a professional, Dean,” Bela slipped in with a smile. “We have complete faith in you and Gabriel here to get the job done right.

“You should be reunited with your co-stars next month when we start press though,” she finished.

“Next month?” shrieked Donna.

Donna had been so calm up until this point, but apparently finding out they were starting promotion so quickly was too much for even her kind soul to take.

“Yes, it is stipulated in your contract.”

“Surely the film isn't going to be ready for another eight months at least?” Jody questioned, eyebrows drawn together in confusion. “The amount of post-effects you're going to have to do? Last film I worked on had nowhere near this amount of green screen and they were working for a year after principle photography finished.”

“We have a couple of whizkids working for us to take lead on all of that, top of the line workers, revolutionary techniques. None of you have anything to worry about. We expect the film to be completed and ready within the next six months. I expect to see you all at the premiere in November.”

“Still, that's in six months, why are we doing press _next month_?” Donna gulped. “I've never had to do press junkets before. I just thought I'd have a little more time to prepare.”

“We'll prepare you for that as well, don't you fear! Given some of the, ahem, rumors that have been spreading about this production, we wanted to cap off filming with a press conference, just to assure everyone things are fine.”

“And when they ask about the ending of the film?” Jody asked in low tones.

“Well, it'll be as much of a surprise to you as it will be to them when they finally get to see it.”

Bela, Dean had quickly realized, had an answer for everything and everyone. She was silver tongued, and if it wasn't for the fact she was slowly draining Dean of all his enthusiasm to act, he might have tried to hit on her. He was sure a night with her would be an unreplicable experience, if nothing else.

 

*******

 

The schedule this time around was more packed this time than it had been before Dean's mini break from the film. They had a variety of endings to film and then the pick-up shots of scenes filmed previously that hadn't come out well.

The three actors invited their new writer to lunch one afternoon to find out all the on-set gossip. Kevin had explained how he'd had to tweaked the plot in light of the new actor, Castiel, and then apologized to the three for the time he'd added to the filming schedule in doing this.

“What's she like?” Dean asked Kevin, still curious to find out about his new supposed co-star. If he could call her that seeing as they hadn't even met yet. “I'm guessing you've met her?”

“He's good,” Kevin supplied with a smile. “A true professional.”

“I couldn't find any _Castiel_ online,” Donna added. “Checked everywhere. Just a mention of some plays in Europe?”

“That's the one.”

“Really?” Donna said, surprised.

“Theater actor. We needed someone solid. I guess he knows someone. But the stuff I saw him shoot the other week, he did look great. And because he's used to theater, he gets it right on the first take nearly every time. Saving us a lot of time, I can tell you.”

“I'm sorry,” Jody said with a laugh, “Did you say _he_?”

“Yes, Castiel's a male.”

Dean's mind went blank. “What?”

“Yeah... Chuck's brilliant, please don't think I'm disrespecting the guy – he did train me after all. But it turned out if we wanted to keep the film a PG-13, we couldn't show a female's nipples for the entire film.”

“ _What?_ ” Jody spat. “You are fucking with me?”

Kevin shrugged. “I wish I was. Shots of dicks? Sure. Female nipples? They were going to slap us with an R rating. Given that so much has already been made about the... nakedness, we had to keep it in somehow.”

“So now the leader of their tribe is a male? Well that's progressive,” Jody shot back sarcastically.

“I agree,” Kevin sighed, hanging his head with shame. “It was that or they were going to kill the movie. Death was hanging around the set you see–”

“Who is _death_?” Donna interjected.

“Not, like, literally _death_ ,” Kevin explained. “He's some higher up at the studio. Apparently if he's on your set observing, that means you're close to being finished. The film's already massively over budget.” Looking around Donna's trailer as if a thinking a hidden executive might jump out, he continued in hushed tones: “They think Chuck will sue if they don't finish the picture.”

“ _What_?” the three actors chimed in as one.

“Something about how they'd treated him badly. He's in rehab now. Studio had to pay. He has good cause to blame them for his nervous breakdown. They basically locked him up until he finished the script. Told him it wasn't good enough, and over a hundred re-writes later, he was at the end of his tether.”

They sat and took that in a moment.

“And then since they knew I'd been apprenticing Chuck, I was brought in to help,” he finished with a squeak. “I don't know why! I've never even written a screenplay before! I was mostly just writing blog entries for him about cats!”

Suddenly Kevin was crying. Donna was first to offer him a hug.

“There, there. None of this is your fault,” she comforted.

“This is going to be the end of my career, before it's even begun!” he wept.

“Now don't be silly!” Donna cooed.

“And this Castiel? No one knows who he is! We were meant to have one big named actor in this film, instead we have Jess Jones over here,” he said pointing towards Dean, “and some theater actor guy who isn't even on IMDB! His resume lists his only on-screen work as a commercial for yaks' milk in _Garbleckistan_ , where the fuck is Garbleckistan?

“No offense meant, Dean,” he hiccuped, holding onto Donna now like a baby koala.

“Nah, I get it, I'm no Anna Milton,” Dean sighed.

“Wine?” Jody offered, reading the somber mood of the trailer.

“How about something stronger?” Donna suggested. “There's a bottle of vodka in that cupboard. I think we could all use a shot or two before we have to head back to finish filming ending number... whatever number we're on.”

In the end the three of them filmed four, maybe five separate possible endings to the film – it wasn't clear. Dean started to wonder if he was living in a nightmare. He pinched himself after having to do thirty takes speaking to a green ball on a stick, which was meant to be his co-star, Castiel.

He was introduced to Charlie and Ash, the special effects geniuses who were going to be fixing up all the computer generated stuff.

“We're mostly going to be responsible for the centauricorns, that's our specialism,” Charlie explained to Dean. “Other effects will go to other companies to deal with, depending on their specialty.”

Dean couldn't help but instantly like Charlie and Ash. They were warm, funny, and obviously crazy as all hell for willingly getting involved in the film.

“We're here today as we're going to be taking 3D scans of all of you,” Charlie explained. “As your contracted filming time has ran out now, the studio wants us to fill in any missing shots with CGI. So I'm going to ask you to all step into the booth one at a time. We'll take you through a range of movements we need from you.”

“So we won't have to do any more pick-up shots?” Dean wondered.

“That's the idea, fella!” Ash said with great enthusiasm. “Theoretically after this, we should have every possible angle. We can then just extrapolate and if they need you from a certain angle they didn't get in filming, we just add it in.”

Donna laughed nervously. “What a crazy world we live in.”

He tried not to feel like this was a sign of the encroaching computer supremacy the films of his childhood had promised.

“I dunno about this. If they can generate us from any angle, what's to stop you from using that to create entirely new scenes?” Jody asked.

“After you do this,” Bela was quick to interject, “you are free to go. We have the press conference organized next month to introduce the first teaser footage to selected members of the press. There will be a quick q&a session. After that, we need you from November for press, and then the movie premiere end of the month. But no more filming, _ever_ , for this film, if you get in that booth now.”

That seemed to do the trick. Donna, Dean and Jody all fought to be the first one scanned in the machine.

“I cannot wait to be done with this crazy place,” Jody told Donna and Dean in hushed tones later, as if this was news to them. “And away from that creep,” she nodded in Bela's direction.

“Bela's not so bad,” Donna chirped. “She's probably just under a lot of stress.”

“She probably is,” Jody agreed readily. “But have you ever seen her blink?”

 

*******

**_One month later_ **

 

“You're late, Winchester!”

“Sorry! Traffic was bad!” he gasped, running towards the lady with the clipboard. If they had a clipboard and headset, experience had taught Dean to just listen to them.

“You need to go into that room. There's a rack of clothes on the side, pick whatever you like. We don't have time to do anything about your hair now, let alone your face,” she tutted. “Press op starts in three. Be at the waiting area behind the stage curtain in two!”

 _Fuck, fuck, fuck_.

He knew he shouldn't have stopped for that coffee, but it had just been _so_ tempting. In the last few weeks since filming had been completed, he'd done nothing but indulge himself. Stopping for a coffee seemed like a perfect treat. Well, at the time. Now, bladder full of coffee, he had to sprint to the room he'd been pointed towards. Looking quickly through the rack, Dean grabbed a soft-looking orange t-shirt. Pulling his current shirt off, and yanking the other on, he sprinted (with direction given by harassed looking staff) to the waiting area behind the stage.

It was here he finally got a quick look at the full cast he was in this film was.

Everyone together, for the very first time.

He waved at Jody and Donna and walked towards them, panting to get his breath back. He inhaled deeply and tried to normalize his breathing after all the running about. It was then that he noticed the shirt had a scent to it that he just could not place. It also struck Dean as odd that he was the only one there in such informal clothes, with his co-stars in either button-ups and suit jackets or fancy looking dresses.

Dean didn't have time to contemplate his clothes or even introduce himself to the people he didn't recognize, as that was the moment they were all directed out onto the stage so that the first official press conference for the film could begin.

The event started with a 12 second teaser trailer for the film. From what Dean could work out, it was mostly scenes with him, Donna and Jody, running around a forest. At the very end was a vague silhouette of a centauricorn, disguised with mist.

The audience of journalists gathered clapped politely at the teaser. Dean thought they were being kind considering they'd been shown almost nothing.

“Greetings! I'm Bela Talbot, and on behalf of Crossroads productions, I'd like to welcome you all. We're just _so_ grateful that you could be here today to join us in talking about our upcoming movie, _The Last of Their Kind._ What we've just seen is the first official footage. We've recently wrapped up on shooting and are now in post-production.

“We'd like to take this opportunity to open up the floor to questions, so we can share with you some of the behind the scenes antics from this _fantastic_ film we have coming out in November.”

Bela beamed out at the audience from the stage, observing the hands that shot up. The cast was sat behind a long table to the side of where she stood.

“And shall we start with... you?” Bela pointed towards a lady in the center of the room Dean knew all too well. A helper with a microphone raced over.

“Hi, I'm Becky, from _MrsSamWinchester.com,_ I have a question for Dean.”

Dean had spotted Becky in the crowd as soon as he'd found his spot at the table and settled down. With a pit of dread in his stomach, he knew without doubt she'd be the first one magically picked for a question.

Except, it wasn't a magic trick. Becky was well known for bribing people in these situations. How she'd got to Bela, Dean couldn't guess, but he knew it wasn't a coincidence.

“I wouldn't expect it any other way, Becky,” Dean said glibly into his microphone.

“Hi Dean. I just wanted to ask: was it difficult acting without your more talented, more handsome brother by your side to prop you up?”

Please may the earth open and swallow me whole, Dean silently begged. Putting on his most shit-eating grin, he answered: “It was a different experience without him around, but my co-stars really made me feel welcome. Not family in the biological sense this time, but family nonetheless.”

He smiled widely, knowing everyone would jump on a story if there was even a slightest hint of acrimony between him and Sam, or him and the cast of this film.

“And, just a quick follow-up question: How is Sam?”

“Still happy he has a restraining order against you, Becky,” Dean chuckled darkly.

Becky laughed back, as if it was some amusing ongoing joke between them instead of the truth.

Bela looked uncomfortable, which for Bela meant her smile dimmed from 100% to 98% brightness.

She quickly picked someone else for questions. “And, how about you?”

“Malcolm, chief editor of _metatron.com_ , question for Dean Winchester.”

“Yes?” Dean ground out, jaw feeling tight with irritation.

“What's your back-up plan for when this film fails and you're exposed as a fraud? Being a child actor is one thing, but helming a film rumored to be the most expensive since _Titanic_? Does it worry you that you might be the lead actor in the biggest flop of all time?”

Dean suddenly couldn't think. The most expensive? He'd heard lots of talk around about how the budget kept being pushed up due to this and that problem, but _the most expensive?_ His tongue felt stuck to the inside of his mouth. So not only would this be a massive flop, but it was going to be _the most expensive flop_ of all time.

Fuck. Fuckity fuck, fuck. Fucksticks.

“Dean's been a delight to work with. He's brought so much to the role. My co-star has taught me a lot about the profession, as have all these kind actors on stage with me here now.”

The voice was coming from the gentleman sat beside him, which meant it had to be the elusive _Castiel._ Dean didn't dare turn around least his expression of amazement give away to the assembled audience just how many lies Castiel was currently telling.

“We've got the best people in this cast, and I personally have never felt such a strong sense of camaraderie in before on a film set.”

_Of course you haven't, this is your first film._

Dean snuck a sideways glance at the man next to him. From his profile alone, Dean could tell he was a handsome fellow.

“It is a big movie,” Castiel continued, “and we've not yet seen the finished article ourselves, but even without all the computer generated add-ons, I am already sure this will stand as the proudest piece of work I've been in. A marvel for our times, and a film people will be watching for years to come.”

_Huh, he is a good actor if he can sell this crap._

The other actors soon took this as a cue to chime in with small stories of kindness from the set.

Eventually, Bela moved onto other journalists, who had far more interest in the other actors, much to Dean's great relief.

 _The most expensive flop of all time,_ Dean kept hearing.

“I... um, thanks,” Dean stuttered, 20 minutes later when the whole thing was finished. They were standing in the area behind the stage again, all congregating and getting to know each other.

“For what?” Castiel looked confused.

“Helping me, when Metadouche – er, I mean, Malcom, was being an ass. That guy's had it in for me since I was twelve and I threw up on his shoes. They'd put me and Sam in a room full of candy and had just expected us to leave it alone. We were there all day doing press for our first film, and... well, children, no self control,” Dean shrugged.

“Ha, they should have expected something.” He smiled softly at Dean, eyes twinkling sweetly.

“Exactly!” Dean chuckled. “Though after that, they only ever left us with bowls of fruit. We did soon figure out we could um – well, you don't want to hear this.” Dean was blushing as Castiel stood there, finally in the flesh and bone before him.

The man had a solid build, broad shoulders, beautifully ruffled dark hair, and eyes that Dean wanted to study for a long time.

Dean could also detect an oddly familiar fragrance.

“I'd love to hear more, I'm sure you two got into a lot of trouble. We're going to be spending a lot of time together in a few months promoting this film, so why not get to know each other, right?”

“Right.”

“I've also be curious to know – how did you get my shirt?” His eyes crinkled beautifully.

“What?” Dean jumped back, looking down at his outfit. “They told me to just take whatever I liked the look of from off the rack, I was, er, running a bit late,” he admitted sheepishly. He felt silly standing there so casually when Castiel was dressed so beautifully in a three-piece navy blue suit. The suit seemed to bring blue out in his already super blue eyes.

“Oh,” Castiel laughed. “Then I apologize, I probably shouldn't have just left it about after I changed. Someone probably mistook it for the studio's and hung it up.”

So that was why Castiel smelled familiar, it was the same smokey, rich fragrance that Dean had detected on the shirt. It also explained why Dean was the only one dressed so casually.

Dean was a bit sad to learn he wouldn't be able to keep the shirt. It had felt so nice on his skin. He thought it had just been some fancy designer, but he figured now it was probably just really well worn in.

“I am so sorry, man. Here, I'll take it off.” He started to pull his arms through and went to lift it up when Castiel placed a hand on his chest stopping him.

“Well if you do that, you'll be topless. You should keep it, looks better on you anyway.”

Dean was stuck awkwardly with the shirt half off, Castiel's hand placed warmly on his chest, and a burgeoning erection.

“I, um, I, thanks?” he babbled, pulling the shirt all the way back down.

Castiel stuck a hand out to shake.

“I don't think we've ever been introduced. I'm Castiel, your co-star to this film.”

Dean grabbed his hand, amazed how warm and soft Castiel's hand felt.

“Dean, Dean Winchester. Your co-star. I was glad to hear what a delight I was on set, by the way,” he added.

“I was guessing,” Castiel shrugged. “But I look forward to finding out for myself if the rumors are true.”

“Dean!” Shouted a familiar voice.

Suddenly Dean was being hugged by Garth. “Good to see you, man!”

“Good to see you too, buddy,” he chimed back.

“Shame we–”

There was a whistling sound.

“Hey, listen up!” Jody was the one who had made the noise. “Since we're finally united, how about we all go out to dinner somewhere? Since we won't see each other again probably until the press tour?”

“Hell yeah!” Shouted Donna.

“I'm in,” Benny agreed.

Slowly all the actors decided the best place to go. A couple of calls were made to invite members of the crew various people had befriended. It was probably about as close to a wrap party as they were going to get.

 

*******

 

Dean hadn't intentionally sat besides Castiel at the restaurant, nor later at the bar they ended at, but fate (or their co-stars) seemed determined for them to spend time together.

Castiel, it turned out, was fascinating.

“So, did you grow up in Russia? You said you were there as a baby?”

Dean and Castiel had found themselves alone in a booth at the back of the bar. Hidden slightly from the rest of the party who were mostly playing pool and drinking more.

“No, I was just born there, but my parents moved on a few months later. They're artists, so we moved around a lot. They were always looking for inspiration to create new things.”

“Where was your favorite place to live?”

Castiel considered Dean's question a moment, taking another sip of his red wine. Dean watched as his throat moved while he swallowed down his mouthful.

“Anywhere, really. Pick a continent and I could tell you the best place I've lived while there.”

“Wow,” Dean laughed. “So what's been the longest you've lived in one place?” Dean didn't know why he kept asking questions, but he couldn't get enough of hearing Castiel talked.

“I was in New York for four years at one point, my sister was at college there and I ended up hanging about.”

“Hey, me too! I mean, not me too, I mean,” he rambled, and then composed himself. “My brother's at college there too at the moment. I dropped by him a few weeks ago. Never spent much time there, but it seemed cool.”

“They have an incredible underground theater scene. You need to go back and check out–”

“Hey you two lovebirds,” Benny interrupted. Dean felt his cheeks heat up slightly.

Benny dropped down on the bench next to Castiel and placed his beer on the table. “What's up?”

“Hey, Benny. Cas here was just telling me about his time in New York.” Dean tried not to bristle at their quiet time being interrupted. Especially as it was meant to be a party. But he'd been kinda enjoying having Castiel all to himself.

“New York, huh? So you're a Giants fan I'm gussin'?”

“I, um, don't actually follow sport – of any kind.”

“Hi! I didn't know we were allowed to interrupt this private meeting,” Donna giggled as she dropped into the last remaining seat at the booth, right next to Dean. “You two have had your heads firmly together since we got here though. Time to share!” She giggled some more.

Clearly a giggly kinda drunk then, Dean thought to himself.

“Donna, this guy here?” Benny pointed towards Castiel, “He doesn't follow _any_ sport,” Benny said with fake shock.

“Huh. I only follow hockey myself,” Donna admitted.

“Well,” Benny thought on this a moment, “better than nothing I 'spose.”

“So the theater scene?” Dean prompted, wanting to get to the end of Castiel's story.

“It's good, you should go back. That's where I first decided to be a playwright.”

“You write? That's cool, brother,” Benny chimed in.

“A bit, I've been able to stage a few productions now. Nothing big, of course, but fairly well received so far.”

“Is that why,” Donna paused to hiccup. “Is that why you've never done _any_ film work?”

“Er, yeah.”

“So. Castiel, the question everyone is dying to know the answer to is...” Donna started tapping the table top in poor mimicry of a drum roll. “How does a guy with no film experience, land the lead role in one of the biggest Hollywood films of all time?”

It was, Dean reflected, a question he himself had wondered, but hadn't dared ask for fear of offending Castiel.

“Oh, you know,” Castiel was suddenly shy. He rubbed the back of his neck. “This and that.”

“Because he hangs dong, Donna,” Benny butted in. “The dude _hangs magnum dong_. Had the biggest fake horse–”

“ _Centauricorn_ ,” the others corrected.

“Yeah yeah, well he had the biggest dick of us all.”

“But they aren't even your real... you know, cocks, on show. So what does size have to do with it?”

Dean snorted into his beer.

“They based them all on reality,” Benny told her.

“Was it hard, being a half horse thing?” Donna asked. “I wish we'd gotten to see what you guys were up to.”

“Here's to that, _mon chéri_ ,” Benny agreed, raising his bottle so he could bump it gently with Donna's. “I don't care how much better for the environment it is, I ain't doing a movie without real sets ever again. All the green screen? Pffft. They had us shirtless in these stupid green leggings. Fuckin' _awful_.”

“It was... a new experience for me too,” Castiel said forlornly. “Much different to anything I've done before.”

“So you're not interested in doing more film work?” Dean had to ask, wanting to know everything he could about this man.

“Not for the time being. I'm writing a new play, as it happens.”

“That's pretty cool. What's it about?” Dean asked.

Castiel told them all the basic outline and how he had a company in Poland ready to perform the play, that he'd even _written_ in Polish. Dean hadn't been able to pay much attention as he'd been too distracted looking at Castiel's lips and the joy in the other man's expression as he explained his play.

“That's so neat!” Donna exclaimed when Castiel eventually finished.

“I wish I had that kinda creativity, brother,” Benny added.

“What are you all up to next?” Castiel inquired.

“I'm shooting a few episodes for a TV show up in Vancouver,” Donna started. “My agent said it was best to get in and try and establish myself better before this film, you know, drops,” she finished with a sad sniffle.

“And I'm going back to my restaurant,” Benny told them all.

“You run a restaurant?” Dean was surprised.

“Sure do! Best gumbo on the delta. You should all drop by anytime.”

“So you do the film work in between?” Dean wondered out loud.

“I started working there as a waiter as a gig between acting jobs. But I soon got good at the cooking. Fast forward to 25 years later and I still do a few bit parts here and there, but my main job is the restaurant. I don't ever wanna give her up now. My wife runs it by herself if I have to be away. Great lady. She looks after the kids by herself too.” Benny got his phone out to show them all photos of his beautiful children and gorgeous wife, smiling proudly as he waved the phone under all their noses.

Dean whistled. “That's gotta be love.”

Benny chuckled. “She knows I love the restaurant, but she knows every now and then, I still get bitten by the acting bug, so she don't mind me clearin' out for a bit every now and then. Secretly I think she likes getting the bed to herself. Plus, being in a few films draws the clients to us, people get a kick out of having their food cooked-up by someone who has acted with Annie Jones.”

“How about you, Dean?” Donna asked.

“Me?” Dean scratched his head. “I'm not too sure yet. Still mulling things over, I guess.”

“Ha, the luck of the child star,” Donna laughed, before catching herself. “Sorry, sorry, that sounded awful. I just mean, it must be nice having the cushion of your past films to fall back on?”

Dean shrugged. “I won't lie, it's true, I don't have to worry for a bit. My folks were good to me and Sam. They put every cent we made into a trust that we had access to only when we turned 18. Sam used the money to go off to college, bought himself a nice apartment in the city. I invested in some property.” He took a sip of his beer. “I guess because we never used the money before that, I kind of forget I have it? But it's true, I don't exactly have to think about these things.”

“You should do TV,” Donna suggested. “Become a series regular and you're on easy street, or so my friends tell me.”

TV wasn't something he'd ever thought about.

“I heard they were making a spin-off film about the Jones' brother aunts and their backstory?” Benny chipped in, changing the topic. “Been wanting to ask you about it for ages, if I'm being honest.”

“The Jones brothers were your characters in that movie series?” Castiel asked.

“You've never seen any of them?” Donna was scandalized and too drunk to hide it.

“I've been out of the country a lot in recent years,” Castiel explained.

“And anyway,” Donna turned on Benny again. “The aunts died in film six. How could they do a spin-off?”

“Prequel,” Benny explained, sounding a bit put out that he had to explain. “Everyone wants to know how Billie and Ellen got together.”

“I thought they were the kids' aunts?” Castiel was adorable when confused, Dean noted.

“Ellen was the Jones' bros mother's sister, Billie was her wife,” Donna informed Castiel. “The story went that they met while working for the FBI and fell in love. And then they leave the service together when their nephews' were orphaned. So they adopt the nephews and from there on it was cinematic gold.”

“I feel like I'm in the _Twilight Zone_ ,” Dean chuckled. “Hearing you explain what was my life the last 12 years.”

Donna's cheeks turned pink. “Sorry, Dean.”

“No, no, nothing to apologize for.”

“So how about it, about the rumors on the prequel?”

“Ah,” Dean said cockily. “That's assuming the aunts are really dead.”

“I knew it!” Benny shouted, slamming his hands on the table. A moment later he looked bashful at his own enthusiasm.

“Aren't you a bit too old for those films?” Donna giggled.

“Yeah, yeah, but my kids were always massively into them.”

“Suuuure,” said Donna with a smirk on her face. “Your kids. I believe ya.”

“Anyways, so the aunts aren't actually dead?”

“Possibly,” Dean said cryptically. No matter how odd he was finding the experience of strangers talking so passionately about his old films, was enjoying their enthusiasm.

“We were signed up for five films originally, Sammy and I. Fifth film finishes and they wanted to negotiate to keep us for another five. But by that point Sam's already eyeing up college. We agreed to two more. Since the writers knew there was just two more, they killed off the aunts in the sixth so the seventh–”

“Best. Film. Ever,” Donna sighed happily.

“Well so the final film would deal with the emotional fall out of all that. If we ever did another, I'm sure they'd find a way to bring their characters back.”

“Are you still friends with them?” Donna's eyes were alight with intrigue, hanging on Dean's every word.

He was pretty amazed she'd made it this far without revealing what a big fan girl she apparently was. Dean was quietly thankful for this.

Dean nodded fondly. “Of course. April and Emma were there as Sam and I grew up. They're good people.”

Donna slumped back in her seat, before suddenly sitting upright again. “What's the time?” She took her own phone out of her pocket. “Oh! Midnight! Jody said we all had to do shots at midnight.”

“We do?” Castiel didn't sound convinced.

“Absolutely! She said it is important for group bonding,” Donna explained getting out of her seat. “Come on guys, we've all been sat here on our own for long enough.”

“Hardly on our own,” Castiel murmured.

Benny stood up and followed Donna off to the bar. “She's gotta point, we are here to celebrate together.”

Dean shrugged and started to move to join them when Castiel caught his arm.

“How about after this... we, um...” he said nervously. Deep voice even deeper.

“Do you want to come back to my hotel after? So we can, you know, talk some more, have a coffee? I'd love to hear about your time in Africa,” Dean suggested timidly.

Castiel swallowed. “I think I'd like that, Dean. Thank you.”

Dean shot him a smile. “No problem. For now though, we better go do shots with Jody. You don't wanna know what she'll do if we don't join in.”

 

*******

 

The group started to split up soon after the third (maybe fourth? Possibly it was their fifth) round of shots. No one appeared to notice as Castiel and Dean caught a taxi together back to the hotel Dean was staying in.

“They have you in a nicer place than me,” Castiel commented as they walked through the hotel lobby.

“Oh.” Now Dean felt awkward, and they hadn't even got to his penthouse suite yet. “It, um, just comes from experience with the contracts. I've spent much of my life in hotels, I just know what I like, you know?”

Castiel laughed gently. “I don't mean that in a jealous way,” he explained as they walked together towards the elevators.

Getting in, Dean inserted his room card to enable the penthouse button on the elevator.

They were both drunk, but not so badly that Dean felt this was a bad idea. His palms felt sweaty. He'd only met Castiel today, and yet, here they were, walking side-by-side into Dean's rooms.

He was nervous. From his perspective he was very clear on what he was happy to let happen tonight. What he was still unclear about was Castiel's expectations. Part of Dean thought Castiel might actually have just come for coffee. Which Dean would have been fine with, but that didn't stop the butterflies growing in his stomach.

“They're a fun group,” Castiel observed, breaking the silence.

“Ha, yeah,” Dean replied, amused. “That was a fun evening. Probably for the best the studio didn't film us altogether after all I bet considering how much we drank.

“Can I take your jacket?” he offered.

Castiel thanked him and handed over the tan trench coat.

Dean led Castiel into the living area and sat down on the sofa. Castiel sat down at the opposite end.

“Probably was for the best,” Castiel looked a little wistful. “Everyone seemed to get on so well. We'd never have gotten anything done,” he chuckled.

He looked around the room, studying it a moment as Dean studied him.

“So you have all these rooms to yourself?”

“It isn't that many,” Dean defended, feeling suddenly on the back foot.

“I don't... sorry. That keeps coming out wrong. I'm more in... awe. I'm really not used to this Hollywood stuff.”

“Ah, yes, you're the theater actor after all. The mysterious theater actor.”

Castiel suddenly seemed to withdraw, staring with great intent at a section of the patterned carpet under his feet.

Dean silently cursed himself for putting Castiel on the spot. “I'm sorry. I'm sure you're very well qualified. It was just... an unusual move for them to take. If I'm honest, I feel like they're taking an even bigger risk on me.”

“Why?” Castiel questioned quickly. “You're a well known, seasoned actor.”

“I'm a 22-year old who has only ever appeared in films meant for pre-teens. Not some big blockbuster PG-13.”

“They're making it an R now.”

“What?” Dean sat forward suddenly. “Are you serious?”

Half the issues they'd had came from the fact they had to keep it a PG-13, and now he was finding out that wasn't even the case any more.

Castiel nodded solemnly. “Yeah. After _Deadpool_ did so well, they want to push the rating up on this.”

“When did they announce that?”

“Oh... um,” Castiel again averted his eyes to anywhere but Dean. “They actually haven't yet.”

“Then how do you know?” Dean asked, curious. “How do you know?” Dean prompted again, starting to get suspicious.

“Ah shit,” Castiel muttered under his breath.

“Cas?” Dean moved so he was sitting a little closer to Castiel who now looked like he was in some level of pain.

“You want to know how I got the role?” he said suddenly.

Dean was taken aback at the quick change in conversation.

“Sure?”

Castiel took a deep breath. “I know the studio are pushing my name like I'm some mysterious, only just discovered human being, who goes by mononym, but that's to hide the fact that my last name is Allen.”

“...So?” Dean didn't see the significance of any of this.

“As in, Hannah Allen, one of the studio heads.”

Dean blinked.

“Is she your... wife?” He leaned away from Castiel, thoughts quickly coming to him about how he was a home wrecker without even knowing it. That would explain it. His wife got him a role in the film she was in charge of. They kept it quiet so the other execs didn't find out... oh crap.

“No! No, nothing like that,” Castiel said, interrupting Dean's thoughts about how disappointed his parents were going to be. “Hannah's my sister.”

“Oh! That's not so bad,” Dean laughed, feeling a sudden whoosh of relief.

“Dean,” Castiel looked Dean directly in the eyes, unblinking. “Hasn't this whole film seemed odd to you?”

“I mean, I guess? But they couldn't have helped what happened.”

Castiel cringed.

“They've engineered it all. All the disasters, even down to Chuck's original script getting stolen.”

Dean's jaw dropped.

“I don't understand. Why would they? That makes no sense. I know you've been drinking, _hell_ , I know I've been drinking, but that has to be the alcohol talking, Cas. That makes no sense at all.”

“Except it does. And I shouldn't be telling you this, but, damn, I can't hope for... _more_ between us without being honest about this. Though I'm sorry I'm burdening you with this for the sake of my desire to spend time with you.”

Dean was aghast. “You are just talking stupid because you're drunk,” Dean said more firmly.

“Have you ever seen _The Producers_? The play about the guys who realize they have more to gain from their play _failing_ than _succeeding_?”

“Yeah...” Dean felt vaguely dizzy. Surely Castiel wasn't suggesting what Dean thought he was?

“This lady at the studio worked out, with a big enough flop, they'd trigger some insurance clause and could cancel out their tax bill for the next few years. I don't pretend to understand the specifics, but, basically any movie they start after this? They're going to start in profit and without paying tax.”

“Oh. Oh fuck.” Dean leaned back against the sofa and placed his hands over his face. “Oh fucking fuck.”

“Yeah.”

“That explains so fucking much. Fucking... _centauricorns_? Who the fuck thought _that_ was going to work in a serious film?”

“They did all the market research, all the correct due diligence so that it won't look suspicious if people poke about. The film sounds crazy, but then Hannah said they signed up you and Anna, and who was going to question it then? Two legitimate stars brought together for the first time.”

“Fuck. _Fuck!_ ” Dean groaned some more.

“But then Anna dropped out... and Hannah was struggling to find someone else, given what the film looked like to outsiders. I've been doing theater outside of the US for years. Hannah said she needed me to come in, help her out. That the role was basically based on me anyway.”

“And all the crazy CGI?” Dean asked.

“To beef up the production budget. Claim it was all for the sake of the environment. Shooting in a real forest would have cost a tenth of what it will to put it all in digitally.”

Dean sat in stunned silence for a while.

“And you don't mind that your sister's just wrecked your career?”

Castiel sighed. “I really am a playwright mostly, with some acting. But more than anything, what I want to do is go back to my charity work. I help _Built of Love_ build houses around the world. We need a big cash injection for a new group of homes we're trying to get done in Sierra Leone. Everything is stuck at the permit stage right now.”

“So,” Dean started, slowly connecting the dots. “So she offers you a few week's of work. In exchange you pretend you're some bizarre new actor the production company has just discovered who only goes by one name. But she gets you the funds to help your charity?”

“Yes.”

Dean sat, trying to take it all in. Eyes flitting around his suite, he suddenly realized: “That probably explains why they were so quick to give into me requesting this stupidly huge hotel room too. More to expense in the final budget.”

“Yes,” Castiel agreed.

“They hired Chuck knowing he'd become a drunken mess, so they could get rid of him and pretend all the script difficulties were the mistake of multiple people?”

Castiel weighed this up. “Not so much that. I don't think they expected Chuck to go off the deep end like he did.”

“Oh, God. Now it makes sense why they hired a director who'd only done commercials before! They wanted him to do everything thirty times out of nervousness. And poor Kevin Tran, his writing career is going to be over.”

Castiel winced. “Yes, most probably, regrettably.”

“And you've told me all this because you felt you had to be honest with me?”

“Because I've been wanting to kiss you all day, since after the press conference, and knew I couldn't without revealing all this. But more than that, because after I'd been talking with you, I realized I wanted to get to know you beyond kissing, Dean. And I couldn't enter into anything knowing I was lying to you.”

Dean's heart seemed to skip a beat.

“That's fucked up, man. Fucked up and oddly... sweet.” Dean shook his head and let out a low growl. “But it does finally explain everything. I've felt so _weird_ for months. Couldn't figure out why they'd do any of what they were doing. And it isn't like I can even tell the press about it – I'd end up sound like a loon, or getting blacklisted for talking bad about a film I'm in.”

“I'm deeply sorry you were dragged into this, Dean,” Castiel said so sincerely Dean couldn't help but believe him.

“It isn't your fault,” Dean assured him. “It isn't like you were the one calling the shots.”

“Hannah wasn't either, if that makes you feel any better. She'd have lost her job if she didn't agree, and I'd have lost money for the charity. We're going to do so much good with that money, you have to believe me.”

Studying Castiel's face, Dean thought he looked very sad and not at all like the engaging, bright-eyed guy he'd been hanging out with all afternoon.

“I think I need a shower, help me relax,” Dean said suddenly, springing up from his seat.

“Oh. Would you like me to... leave?” Castiel asked stiffly, feeling like that was the end of things between him and Dean.

“I was thinking... we could shower together?”

Dean stood before Castiel and offered him a hand.

“I've just had a big shock and found out that my career as an actor is destined to be destroyed due to one lousy script choice. I probably need supervision in the shower.”

Castiel looked up at Dean and then took his hand, rising gracefully from his seat.

“Lead the way.”

 

*******

 

“Fuck, oh fuckkkk,” Castiel moaned, writhing with his back against the shower.

Dean was on his knees in front of Castiel, mouth currently wrapped around Castiel's erection, fisting the base with his left hand, while his right hand rolled Castiel's balls and stroked along his taint every now and then.

“You are _so_ good at this. So fucking good. Don't stop, please don't stop.

It became quickly apparent in the shower the Castiel was both a talker and a loud moaner. Dean's cock had been throbbing and untouched since he'd sunk to his knees.

Swirling his tongue around the top of Castiel's cock once more, Dean also took the opportunity to yank on Cas' balls.

“Ouuuuch, why did you...”

Dean moved his mouth off the cock.

“You were about to come.”

“Isn't that... kind of the point?” Cas asked, out of breath and confused.

“Well, if you come now, are you likely to be able to get hard again in ten minutes?”

Castiel thought a moment and then slowly shook his head no.

“Well then I need you to not come so you can fuck me into oblivion after this shower. If that's good with you?”

Castiel groaned again. “Oh fuck.” His cock twitched even though this time Dean wasn't touching it at all. “That would be... yes. If you're sure? We have been drinking.” He suddenly sounded worried and looked down at Dean who was still knelt in front of him.

“It takes more than a few shots to get to me these days, um,” Dean swallowed nervously. “So long as you feel able to consent?”

“Definitely,” Castiel grinned. “Take more than that to affect my judgment, don't worry.”

He grabbed Dean's hand and pulled the other man up so they were both standing again. They continued what they'd been doing before Dean's impromptu blow job: kissing and slowly lathering each other up with bubbles under the multiple jets of warm water the shower produced.

Castiel's skin felt like addiction under Dean's hands. So smooth and soft. The water made it mesmerizing just to run his hands all over Castiel's supple flesh.

Soon as they'd rinsed the soap off, they walked towards the bedroom, stopping to kiss and touch every few steps.

Dean threw himself backwards onto the bed, leaning up on his elbows.

“Shouldn't we dry off?”

“Why?” Dean laughed. “We're just going to mess this bed up in a moment anyway.”

“I'm going to turn the thermostat up a little. I don't want you catching a cold just because you wanted sex instead of a towel.”

Dean observed him walking around naked, smiling at how dorky yet adorable Castiel was. Dean took a moment while Castiel was busy with the room climate control to grab lube and condoms for them.

“How'd you want me, big boy?” he teased Castiel.

“Turn over, grab the headboard,” Castiel replied after studying Dean and the bed. He sounded firm and Dean realized he kind of liked it. A lot.

Flipping over and crawling towards the headboard, Dean leaned over to grab the top of the solid-wood headboard as directed.

He felt the mattress dip a little under him as Castiel got on the bed too. He crawled up towards Dean and then proceeded to simply stroke Dean's back in a soft, soothing motion that sent shivers up Dean's spine.

“You're so beautiful,” he whispered into Dean's ear.

“Th... th... thank you,” Dean shivered.

Dean shut his eyes and clenched his fingers harder.

There was a click as Castiel popped the lid off the lube.

“Warming, hey? Orange flavor? Good choice.” He pumped a good quantity into his palm and then proceeded to stroke his hand down between Dean's pert buttocks, smearing the lube around his hole. Slowly Castiel moved up and down over Dean's hole, but still didn't go within.

Castiel stalled suddenly. “Um, are you okay with dirty talk?” He'd gone back to his normal voice instead of the sultry tones he'd been using.

“Fuck,” Dean hissed with arousal. Just the mention of it making him long for something inside him. His cock was in agreement too. “Very, very okay.”

“Good, but please know that I don't think any less of you for this, it just... assists me getting into the mood.”

“Processed, agreed! Now fuck me,” Dean said a bit agitated. He was never at his most polite while horny.

Leaning down so he could whisper into Dean's ear, every now and then nipping and licking the shell of his ear, Castiel started.

“You must be a very naughty boy, Dean,” Castiel hissed.

“Aha,” Dean agreed, feeling almost groggy with desire.

“Taking home a man you've just met today, and begging him to fuck you?”

With this, Castiel inserted one of his very well lubed-up fingers.

“Unf, yessss,” Dean agreed happily.

“Although...” Castiel inserted a second finger, also on his right hand. “I don't hear much begging, now I think about it. A little whore like yourself,” Castiel paused a moment, to give Dean the chance to veto his language, “you're probably very good at begging, aren't you?”

Castiel used his two already inserted fingers to slowly loosen up Dean's hole.

“Grrrummpphh,” Dean agreed. His eyes were shut so he could fully enjoy the sensations. He'd always enjoyed having his hole played with. He was slowly rocking himself backwards and forwards in tiny increments so that he could fuck himself on Castiel's fingers.

“I think I'd like to hear you beg.”

“Pleeeeasseee,” Dean whimpered quietly, very happy to comply.

“Good boy.” Castiel rewarded Dean with a third finger.

“And again? Maybe a little louder?” he prompted.

“Fuu... fuck... Please, please... Cas... fuck me.”

“Oh, very, very good,” Castiel chuckled with delight. With this he moved positions so he was kneeling behind Dean.

There was a pause as Castiel pumped out even more lube.

Dean gasped with joy when he felt Castiel insert two fingers from what had to be his left hand this time.

“Three fingers from my right hand,” Castiel said, wiggling those slightly. “And now two from my left. You, Dean, are a very good boy.”

Dean writhed and moaned as Castiel continued to play, twisting his fingers around, pulling slightly, caressing Dean on the inside. He could feel the lube slip down and coat his thighs, but couldn't bring himself to care.

“Please, please,” he panted after what felt like forever. “Please, fuck me. I need your cock inside me.”

“Well, if you insist.”

Castiel withdrew his fingers and there was a pause while he put a condom on.

“Are you holding onto the headboard firmly, Dean?”

“Yes! Yes,” Dean gasped, fingers almost sore from how tightly they were gripping.

Castiel re-positioned himself again. Running his hands along Dean's back again, and then over his ass and down his thighs.

“You are truly magnificent,” Castiel told Dean with a happy sigh.

Before Dean could get the _thank you_ out that he was trying to reply with, Castiel had thrust in.

The both groaned with delight.

“I don't... I don't do this much,” Dean mumbled, as they both paused a moment to get used to the feeling of Castiel deep within Dean.

“What?” Castiel panted.

“I... you said, I must beg a lot? I don't, I don't do this a lot.”

He wasn't sure why he felt like he had to tell Castiel this. They were in the middle of sex already.

“There was just something about you,” Dean clarified. “I just felt so connected to you.”

“I... I feel it too,” Castiel assured him.

They lost themselves in moans and the slap of flesh on flesh for a while.

When Dean's arms started to hurt from clinging onto the headboard, Castiel disengaged just long enough for them to move about.

Dean this time was on his back, ankles crossed behind Castiel's back. They exchanged wet, hot kisses as Castiel continued to drive in and out of Dean, fulfilling his every need, his every desire. Dean using his legs to encourage Castiel into his favorite rhythm.

When Castiel was starting to feel like he could take no more, he maneuvered one hand free to grip Dean's weeping erection.

The lube left on his hand from fingering Dean earlier was almost dry or wiped off elsewhere now, but that didn't seem to matter as Dean somehow managed to rock up into Castiel's fist and down onto Castiel's cock all at once. Dean marveled at the friction Castiel's nearly lube-less hand provided.

Try though he might to get Dean off before he came himself, Castiel couldn't hold on any longer and soon felt himself tense up as he filled the condom. He continued to stroke Dean though who moments later was also climaxing.

Falling down besides Dean, Castiel was fighting to get his breath back.

“That was... incredible,” said Dean between labored breaths.

“Agreed,” Castiel chuckled.

Dean moved down to take off Castiel's condom, tying it up and chucking it in the bin. He moved the sheets so they could both get under and then curled into Castiel's side.

“Thanks,” Dean said sweetly, kissing Castiel on the cheek.

It had been a weird few months, but maybe... maybe it was destined to happen so that he could be here, at this moment in time, with Castiel right beside him.

 

*******

 

“Mornin',” Dean greeted Castiel when he heard the other man waking up the following day.

Dean reckoned he'd only slept a couple of hours, but that was generally enough for him. He'd been silently catching up on the news on his phone while he waited for Castiel to wake up.

“Oh, hey,” Castiel was groggy and his bedhead so adorable Dean wanted to play with the wild strands of hair.

After a bit of stretching Castiel sat up as well, resting against the headboard.

“What's the time?” he asked, having realized his one phone was dead.

“Just gone 7 am,” Dean supplied helpfully.

“Last night was fun.”

“But?” Dean added, stomach suddenly dropping. Oh. So maybe this was going to be the part where he was thrown aside. He shouldn't have been so surprised. Just in the heat of things the night before it felt like maybe this time would be diff–

“What?” Castiel said, confused. He turned on the bed to face Dean. “No 'but'. I liked it... I really liked it,” he added shyly.

“Oh.”

He'd been watching Castiel as he slept, his stupid heart already imagining their future together.

“Um, did you?” Castiel said hesitantly.

Dean realized then what his silence probably seemed like to Cas. “What? Oh! Yeah, of course, that was... freaking awesome,” he finished with a dazed and happy look on his face. “In fact... I wouldn't mind another go.”

“Oh yeah?” Castiel's voice went even lower.

“Oh definitely. You've broken me, Castiel,” Dean uttered softly. “My poor ass aches for you now.”

 

*******

 

After another energetic round of sex, which ended with them both messy and muscles hurting in strangely pleasing ways, they both decided to take a shower again. They eventually managed to get themselves clean, after probably the longest shower of Castiel's life. They couldn't seem to stop touching each other, keen to learn about the other on every level.

Castiel borrowed some of Dean's body wash and thought with a thrill of happiness how he'd smell like Dean.

This time they did dry off. Dean lent Castiel a clean shirt and he shucked on the jeans they'd discarded on their way to the shower the night before. He didn't have anything on under his jeans, but Castiel was usually content like that anyway.

“Breakfast?” Dean suggested.

“Sure. Where do you wanna go?” Castiel looked around for his shoes. Not even slightly sure when he took those off. They could be anywhere in the suite of rooms Dean was occupying.

“I... was thinking we'd just get room service?” Dean suggested with a wince. “Not because,” he added hurriedly, “that I don't want to be seen with you. But it can be a bit of a pain in the ass going into public with me sometimes.”

Castiel smiled gently. “I understand, room service is fine with me. I just want you to feel comfortable.”

Dean practically ordered half the breakfast menu the hotel offered. Between the alcohol and all the sex, he was feeling like his stomach had a hole in it.

They sat in the living room area of Dean's suite at the table in there so they could eat and continue talking.

“I lived in Norway for a few weeks,” Castiel told Dean, just before he bit into a freshly baked, still warm breakfast muffin.

“What was that like?” Dean, who had only ever gotten to travel to foreign lands for filming or press, couldn't get enough of Castiel's stories.

“Dark,” Castiel laughed humorlessly. “The small town I was staying in had about two hours of sunshine a day that time of year.”

Dean whistled low, impressed. “So what were you doing there?”

“Learning to fish, weirdly,” Castiel chuckled. “I wanted to learn from the best. Give a man a fish, he eats for a day.”

“Teach a man to fish in a state of permanent nighttime, and he can provide for himself the rest of his life?” Dean guessed.

“Basically, yeah,” Castiel agreed. “It was one of my dumber plans, and in fact, one of my least useful skills. Turns out, most places? You can't just rock up and start fishing.”

“Anyway, enough about me and my life, tell me about yourself?” Castiel asked, taking a delicate sip of coffee.

“I had to learn how to do a backwards flip for the movies,” Dean shared.

“Is that why you're so flexible?” Castiel had an appreciative look on his face.

“Heh, yeah. I guess.” Looking over the mountains of food still on the table, Dean picked what he wanted to have next.

“What else do you wanna know?” Dean said through a mouth of half-chewed eggs.

“Anything, everything,” Castiel assured Dean.

Swallowing his mouthful of food, Dean thought about his life.

“They were holding an open casting call for kids at my school. I was never very good in school, and when I heard I could bunk off class early to go to the audition, I was all for it. Sam decided he wanted to go too – even back then talking about how it'd look good on his college application. Not even ten yet and the kid was a giant dork.

“Mom took some time off work to bring Sam over to my school, and to watch us audition.”

“So even at that age you knew you wanted to be an actor?”

“Hell no!” Dean laughed. “Like I said, I just wanted to get out of school early. And, well,” he paused, feeling embarrassed all over again. “I had had the total hots for Harrison Ford. Though at the time I didn't realize that's what the feelings were. I just thought he was so _cool_. And if he was an actor, I figured, how bad could it be?”

“So you and Sam audition, they think you're amazing, and the rest is history?”

Dean started laughing again. “Nope! Not even close. We didn't even get to audition. Some douche shoved Sam over because he wanted to audition before us. Without really thinking about it, I yanked the twerp by the collar and told him to watch out where he put his hands, because if I ever so much as saw him look at my little brother again, I'd knock his lights out.

“Mom was horrified. Sam thanked me, and I stood there feeling full of rage. Next thing I know, this group of adults is standing there declaring we're _just perfect_. Turned out they'd been looking to cast one boy for the film, and despite everything they tried, had failed to find the right kid. When they ran out of agency kids, someone had the thought of looking in the schools local to where they were hoping to film – so we'd have the right kinda accent. But after seeing me and Sam, they realized the issue wasn't in casting the boy, the issue was casting just _one_ boy. Whole film got re-written to be about brothers, and Sam and I got picked.”

Castiel lent back in his chair, amazed. “That's so cool. So really you had the rude child to thank?”

“Yup,” Dean smirked. “Sam and I stayed in regular school through the first and second films, coming back when possible so we could be normal. But soon... well, our life was just too different from the other kids. And it was getting awkward fitting the travel in. Mom pulled us from school, got us a tutor. I started enjoying learning a bit more after that.”

Dean was contemplating eating one more pastry when he realized they were actually all out.

“Being a child actor ain't so hard. At that age, all you know is how to do is be a kid, so you learn your lines and that's about it. As I got older, I had to really work at it more. But that world was pretty much the last eleven years of my life in total. So here I am, aged 22, after playing a teenager for way too–”

Castiel choked on his juice. “You're 22?”

“Yeah?” Dean frowned. “I thought you knew that?”

“I'm... fuck, you know I'm 37, don't you?”

Dean shrugged, “I guessed it'd be something like that.”

“And that doesn't bother you?” Castiel asked slowly, brow creased with concern.

“Should it?” Dean wasn't bothered, but he started to get worried Castiel was.

“I just... don't want you to think I'm taking advantage of you.”

Dean laughed.

“You aren't that much older, Cas.”

“I really am,” Castiel replied, voice troubled.

“Oh... does it, does it worry you?” Now Dean was the one feeling paranoid.

“No. You just seemed so... mature? I guess I assumed you were older. You look beautiful, but I had no idea how old you were.”

“Probably because I've spent most of my life around adults. Sam, if I'm honest about it, was really my only friend growing up who wasn't over 18.”

“That can't have been easy,” Castiel said, eyes full of concern.

“It wasn't bad, ya know? After we stopped going to school, it was a bit weird. Though I think that's why Sam was so determined to go to college, so he could have that experience we never got as kids.”

“Do you regret it?”

Dean thought a moment. “Ultimately? No. I got to live a life plenty of other people have dreamed about. Done a lot of cool stuff, though not as cool as you.”

Castiel huffed a snort of amusement. “I just seem cool to you because you're young.”

“I'm not that young,” Dean protested.

“Oh God, how's this going to come across in the film? Or was that the whole point?”

“Anna is in her 40s, I know that much,” Dean replied. “I didn't think much of it. And besides, it isn't like our characters really do much together, romantically speaking.”

Castiel raised an eyebrow at this. “We have a whole kissing scene? I had to film that one about twelve times pretending some person dressed all in blue was you.”

Dean's eyes flew open. “WHAT? That wasn't in my script!”

“It was definitely in mine. It was one of the many endings we shot.”

Dean groaned. “This film is going to be the death of me. But I suppose now, thanks to you, I at least know the universe was against me from the start on this one.”

The table now covered in empty plates and crumbs, Dean wondered what they should do next.

“How long do you have this room for?”

“Studio put me up here for the rest of this week.” Dean looked around his opulent surroundings. “I was going to use the time to explore the area a bit, never really spent much time in LA before. Did you feel like... joining me, maybe? If we go to the right part of town, no one is going to care who I am.”

“Ah, um...” Castiel hesitated.

“I mean, you don't have to. I'm sure you have plans already.”

“I do, kinda. I'm supposed to be leaving Thursday morning for Poland, for the play I wrote. We start work on Saturday.”

That was only two days and then they'd be separated.

“Oh.” Dean felt so downhearted. Though he was sure part of him knew this little bubble he'd been existing in with Castiel the last 24 hours couldn't continue indefinitely.

“I have to get some stuff packed to go. But if you're happy to run errands with me, I'd love to spend what time I can with you.”

“Really?” Dean looked up beaming at Castiel.

“Really.” He smiled fondly across the small table.

“I'd like that, I'd like that a lot.”

 

*******

 

The next two days went by too fast for Dean's liking.

Castiel had packed up the stuff from the hotel he'd been staying in and moved into Dean's rooms.

He was, Dean discovered with delight, just as much fun outside of the hotel room as he was inside it. They spent their days shopping as Castiel picked up an eclectic shopping list of things he needed for his trip. At the same time, they got to see a side to the city Dean would never have thought to explore.

It was fun finding new places and things with Castiel. Fun because Castiel seemed to look upon everything as if it was so new to him and so precious, even though he was the one with much more world experience than Dean had.

After their days of shopping, their nights were full of more sex.

Dean's soul had never felt so well nourished before. For the first time in a while, he didn't spend every other moment wondering about his future, because all he wanted to do was exist in the then and there. Looking to the future just meant looking to Castiel leaving, and Dean didn't want to start thinking about that.

The morning of Castiel's flight, Dean had woken up a few hours before Castiel just so he could enjoy and memorize the sensation of being held by the older man.

He sucked Castiel off slowly and languidly, relishing in the feel of Castiel coming in his mouth. He knew it wasn't good safe sex practices, but in that moment, he couldn't have cared less – he just needed to taste and know Castiel fully.

Dean worked all his magic to get Castiel hard enough again before breakfast so that he could fuck Dean. Dean asked for Castiel to go hard, so hard Dean would be able to feel it for days.

Castiel had been happy to comply.

They sat down for one last breakfast together and Dean could feel himself wanting to cry.

“I don't want you to go,” he admitted, shifting on his seat delicately to get the best position for his throbbing behind.

Castiel looked over the table at him woefully and sat forwards so he could take one of Dean's hands in his.

“And I assure you, I don't wish to leave either.”

“But I know you have to.” Dean's voice wobbled, even though he didn't want it to. “Why do I feel like this after only a few days?” he begged of Castiel.

Castiel smiled sadly. “I feel with you like everything I am is somehow _more_. Like I'm not just this awkward man who has never managed to settle down. As if my experiences actually have meaning.”

“They do, they definitely do. And you make me feel like I could have anything in the world. I'm not afraid of the future because it doesn't matter what I do so long as I'm around to spend more time with you.”

Castiel seemed to be looking into Dean's very soul from the focus he was giving him.

“You should come out to Poland and spend some time with me there,” he eventually suggested.

Dean had to admit he'd wondered if he'd be welcomed.

“I... I think I'd like that. I have a few meetings set for next week though.”

“Oh.” Castiel looked sad again.

“But after that, perhaps, for a while?” Dean said hopefully. “How long will you be there?”

“Around two months altogether. And then I'm off to help with the housing project before I'm needed back here for press and the final film release.”

Suddenly Dean was laughing, full of nervous energy. “This is one of the weirdest things that's ever happened in my life. These last few months. Then to cap it off, I meet you.”

“That's the thing about life: you never know what's around the corner. Magic or mayhem, unless you are there, you'll never find out.”

“I just wish...” Dean trailed off with a sigh. “I just wish I'd been able to spend time with you earlier.”

“I feel the same.” Castiel smiled sadly back at Dean. “I have a lot to thank Hannah for, getting me involved in all this.”

“Now I know about the mess the film is going to definitely be, I can get ahead and start booking work for after. Donna suggested TV. I'd never thought of it before then, but now, I sort of like the idea.”

Castiel nodded. “I imagine it would be nice to spend time with the same people. That was what you were used to on your movie series, from what you've told me. A TV show would be a similar thing.”

“Yeah... yeah,” Dean said, as it dawned on him how right Castiel was.

Maybe that was the problem. He'd been doing films with his brother and a cast and crew who had become his second family. _The Last of Their Kind_ had felt nothing alike for the most part. But TV...

Before too long Castiel was packing up his stuff again. The hotel had kindly laundered all his clothes so he was ready to go.

They decided it was for the best if they said their goodbyes at the hotel in case any cameras were at the airport.

“Have a safe flight,” Dean said almost pleadingly, placing a gentle kiss on Castiel's closed lips.

“Call me when you know your plans?” Castiel responded, with equal longing in his tone.

“Definitely. It will take me a while probably to get something else off the ground, but, definitely.”

They kissed again, each holding the other tighter and tighter.

A knock at the door was what finally made them stop. Breathing hard and plump lips red from being bitten and sucked, they separated.

Dean went to open the door.

“Your taxi to the airport is here, sir,” the bellboy told them.

“Ah... thanks.”

“Any luggage I can take for you?”

“Over there,” Castiel pointed towards two suitcases he had ready to go.

The bellboy moved them onto his trolley and proceeded out.

“I'll miss you,” he whispered in Dean's ear, hugging him tightly.

“I'll miss you more,” Dean whispered back.

They kissed once more and separated.

Dean wiped his eyes with the back of his hand as he watched Castiel leave the room.

Sure, he had Castiel's phone number, email address, and about everything else they could exchange, but Dean knew deep down it wouldn't be enough to rid him of this feeling of loss.

 

*******

 

Feeling sad and lonelier than he could ever remember being, Dean curled up on the sofa and called his brother.

“Hiya Sammy.” He tried to inject his voice with a level of fake enthusiasm so Sam wouldn't know something was wrong.

“Hi, Dean. What's up?”

“Nothin' much. How's school?”

“Nothing much?” Sam repeated back at him instantly. “Why are you calling me then?”

“Can't a big brother just call?” Dean winced.

“Some can. Not you though.” Sam sounded puzzled.

“I've been spending some time with one of the guys I shot the film with. But he had to leave today for Europe.”

It sounded so simple put like that. Dean didn't know how to say he'd fallen for someone, fallen hard, and was afraid he might not be able to get up.

“Why didn't you just go with him? Not like you have anything else to do here.”

Dean rolled his eyes. “I do have meeting coming up. Isn't like we've all just quit acting. I've got to get a new job yet. Especially now.”

“Why now? You've got enough money to live off forever if you wanted to.”

“The new film is going to tank.”

“You don't know that, stop being such a grump.”

Dean debated telling Sam what Castiel had said, but then he'd have to explain the whole thing, and he didn't want more people than necessary knowing how dumb he'd been in picking this particular film. 

“I do know that. They didn't even have an ending for the film. We had to film a couple and they're basically making the whole thing up in editing.”

“Ah,” Sam winced. “That's...”

“Gonna be a hot mess. If I don't take the work now while I can, offers are going to stop coming, and I won't have a choice in if I want to keep being an actor or not.”

“Why don't you think about something else? You could go to college too if you wanted.”

“That stuff ain't for me, Sam,” Dean grumbled.

“Or anything, really. Go travel and see the world.”

 _Go see Castiel_ , Dean's mind supplied.

“One of the actresses on the set, she suggested I try a TV show. Cas seemed to think–”

“Cas is the actress?”

“No. Donna was the actress, she plays Missy in the film. Cas was the guy I was hanging out with.”

“You say hanging out, but I'm hearing _banging_ out with,” Sam said slyly.

“Er, yeah,” Dean admitted. “He makes me happy, Sam,” was the only lame retort he had.

Pressing on before Sam could try to turn the conversation towards Dean's _feelings_ , he told Sam of Castiel's theory that Dean hadn't enjoyed the last film so much because it didn't feel like family. Because he'd been used to having family around him. That Cas thought a TV series might fix that.

“I dunno, Dean. Not sure I can't see you doing the exact same thing week in, week out.”

“It's television man, most likely I get in for one or two episodes of a show, and then that show gets canceled anyway,” Dean argued, trying to be the practical one.

“If you really feel that way, why bother with it at all?”

Damn Sam for being reasonable.

“Because I have to do _something_. I don't want to end up with zero options.”

“You're young, rich, and have your health. You've got plenty of options.”

Dean thought of Benny with the restaurant he ran back to between filming movies. Before he could stop himself, he thought back more intently to Benny proudly showing them all photos of his wife and kids.

“I...”

“Yeah?” Sam said encouragingly.

“I sorta want to run to the airport right now and stop Cas from leaving on that plane,” he admitted, taken aback by the stupidity of his own thoughts.

Sam snorted with laughter down the phone. “Wow. You're really gone on him, aren't you? To bring out your chick flick side.”

“Shut it, Sammy.”

Sam chuckled some more. “Well, why not?”

“Because I have meetings.”

“For TV work you don't seem to really want and think will be canceled anyway.”

“Nnnnggghhh,” Dean ground out. “That's not the point.”

“Jump in a taxi now, go on. Fulfill that desire I'm sure you've always had to run after someone at the airport and declare your love,” Sam was laughing but Dean was quietly calculating in his head if it was too late for that.

Sighing, Dean slumped back on the sofa.

“I ain't going to do that.”

“And I ask you again – why the hell not? Go do what makes you happy, even if that is this Cas guy.”

“Urgh, Sam. No talking about my sex life, got it?”

“You are such a secret prude.”

“And I'm not going to do it because that's stupid.”

“Putting yourself out there is not stupid,” Sam told him bluntly.

“It's stupid because he'll be through security before I can get there. And...”

“Yeah?” Sam was hanging onto Dean's every word.

“Soon as I hang up on you? I'm going to book myself on the next available flight to Poland.”

Sam whooped down the phone. “I knew you had it in you!”

“Shut up you,” Dean grinned. “This ain't because of you.”

“It kinda is, Dean.”

Dean stuck his tongue out in automatic childish retaliation, not thinking about how Sam couldn't see him do so.

“This is because Castiel sucks dick like a pro.”

“Urgh, _DEAN_!”

“You started it,” Dean laughed.

“Yeah well, go to Poland. Go find your man. And you can name your first born after me as a thank you.”

Dean rolled his eyes and pressed end of call, grateful his brother knew him so well.

 

*******

 

Dean and Castiel arrived back in the US four months later. It had been the longest Dean had ever gone in his life without seeing his family, but Dean felt like a new person after his time in Europe.

He ended up being roped in to help with the lighting of Castiel's play as their lighting person fell through – not that he minded. It was a crazy experience and Dean's confidence about his ability to do something that wasn't acting went from strength to strength.

Even though he didn't know the language, he still somehow felt like he made friends with the cast. Castiel remained firmly at his side, helping him communicate, introducing him to the small company of actors, all of who Castiel knew well.

They'd later traveled to Sierra Leone so Castiel could take part in the charity project he'd help set up to build homes there. Getting to see a small part of Africa had been such an amazing experience. Dean had gone to bed each night excited like never before to see what the next day would bring. Every day felt like they were really accomplishing something to help people, with their very own hands.

While he and Castiel were waiting for their luggage at LAX, Dean called his mom to let her know he'd gotten back safely from his trip. He'd vaguely told his parents before he'd left what was happening, separately begging Sam not to blow how completely gone he was on Castiel. His parents thought Cas was just a guy he met while filming and – based on his mom's teasing – maybe had a small crush on.

The reality of their lives struck again a couple of days later when they were finally back with their co-stars. The studio decided to split the groups into the humans and centauricorns for the press they had to do.

Dean had never been too happy doing the press bit before a movie release, but he was well rehearsed. He knew to stick to whatever the PR gurus told him, flash out a few cute stories around the production, and generally smile a lot.

Since none of them still knew the movie ending or really the plot in general, they had to distract reporters trying to ask them about the film with other stories. Donna also talked about a new TV show she was on – something that made Dean feel very relieved to hear about. At least one of the other actors involved would get out of this mess alright.

At the end of the day, he'd return to his hotel room and also return to Castiel.

Time was slowly counting down until the big movie premiere. Within the next 48 hours Dean had to introduce Castiel to his family, but more worryingly, he'd have to finally sit through a screening of the movie.

“Worry about that tomorrow,” Castiel advised, kissing Dean again.

They were at their hotel room, preparing for a party the studio was putting on to congratulate them all. Following the party, they had the premiere, and then would be out doing international press together for a few weeks.

At least the press they'd done already, no one had seen a full version of the film. But after this, there would be reviews. _Everyone_ would know how terrible the film was bound to be.

Sure, it was going to be the end of his acting career, especially as he hadn't been smart like Donna and Jody had and taken another job already, but standing in that hotel room, having Castiel fix up his hair? Dean couldn't seem to care. He'd lost one thing only to gain another.

“If no one else will ever hire me again, will you?” Dean asked coquettishly, fluttering his lashes at Castiel.

“Of course, hun. I'll write you a screenplay. Where do you want it to be set?”

Dean laughed, “Well, I've never gotten to film in Australia. I think I could do a pretty good accent,” he said in what he knew to be an awful imitation of an Australian accent.

“It would be about two human men, who find love in strange ways.”

“So long as it doesn't contain a single horse dick, I'm happy.”

They stood and held each other a while.

“We really do have to go to the party,” Dean muttered into Castiel's shoulder.

“I know. Just give me a second before I have to share you with the rest of the world again.”

They hugged tighter, Dean breathing in Castiel's now familiar scent, letting it sooth and empower him.

 

*******

 

“Nnnngggg,” Dean grumbled, reaching out with a hand to feel for his phone. He knew he had to stop the noise and that it was his phone causing it. Answering the call on instinct, Dean found himself talking to his Uncle Bobby.

 _Horse porn?_ Bobby had grunted down the phone.

They talked, Dean found out Castiel had accidentally been woken up with the noise.

_Castiel snuggled down deeper in the and drifted back off to sleep. Dean watched Castiel, observing the rise and fall of his chest beautifully highlighted by the faint morning sun making its way through a crack in the curtains._

_In his dreams, Castiel could momentarily forget all that was yet to come._

_Dean, now firmly awake however, felt nothing but nausea and dread._

Dread at the thought of dealing with the press with his current hangover. Nausea, well, also because of the hangover.

Maybe they'd partied a little _too_ hard last night. Dean wondered if the press had caught him and Castiel making out on their way back to the hotel.

Dean's family were arriving at the hotel mid-afternoon so they could catch up before the film premiere later. Only Sam knew that Dean was bringing Castiel along with him. If Dean was being honest with himself, he was a little tense about introducing a special someone to his parents for the first time.

They showered and dressed casually, knowing they'd be changing again later for the premiere.

“Are you nervous?” Castiel asked, observing Dean as he tied and retied his shoes.

“No! No. Why would I be nervous?”

“Er,” Castiel watched Dean retie his left shoe for a sixth time. “No reason?”

Dean felt a jolt in his stomach when he heard a knock on the door. He got up to open it and was greeted with a hug from all his assembled family members.

“And who is this?” Mary said, smiling happily at Castiel.

“Castiel, Mrs. Winchester. It is a pleasure to meet you.” Castiel moved forwards to shake Mary's hand.

“Oh! The other actor Dean's been traveling with.”

Bobby looked between Castiel and Dean, eyes taking in everything before him and the personal objects strewn around the room.

“I thought you said he wasn't your boyfriend?”

Dean flushed.

“I'm not sure I ever said that, Uncle Bobby.”

Sam let out a huff of a laugh.

“So you knew about this?” Mary asked archly, turning to Sam. “And you didn't tell us?”

“Hey, hey, not my fault!” Sam stammered, eyes going wide and taking a step back from his mother. “Dean asked me not to say a word.”

“You boys happy together?” John questioned.

“Yes, sir,” Dean nodded.

John shrugged, “Good enough for me.”

“Come on in, sit down. You must be tired from your travels. We have a little while before we need for the premiere.” Castiel ushered the family towards the living room area in their suite.

“Good idea. I want to hear all about your adventures, Dean. And get to know you as well, Castiel.”

Castiel shot Dean a worried look, now suddenly feeling nervous himself. Dean in turn took Castiel's hand in his own.

“It'll be okay,” he whispered to Castiel. “They're gonna love you just as much as I do.”

 

*******

 

Dean's face started to hurt fairly quickly that evening as he slipped into a suit and his familiar press-friendly smile to walk the red carpet.

Camera flashes went off all around him as he stopped to pose for various photographers. The photographers weren't as interested in him as they were his female co-stars, who had actually put effort into their outfits.

That was, until Castiel and Dean decided to kiss in the middle of the red carpet.

Moments before Dean had made the decision to kiss Castiel, Dean had spotted Bela a few feet away. Months of pent up anger at the woman for creating the disaster they were about to go in and watch raced through him. Then, he'd noticed Castiel just behind him.

If it hadn't been for the film, Dean didn't know if he'd had ever met Castiel. If he hadn't met Castiel, he wouldn't have come to understand that film wasn't perhaps what he wanted to do. He wouldn't have learned about himself as much as he knew now.

Out of the shit storm Bela had overseen came Castiel. And for that, Dean had to be thankful.

Suddenly Dean couldn't stop himself and he'd grabbed the other man and kissed him thoroughly. All thoughts of the people around them fleeing his mind.

The press had shouted for the men to come back, but instead they chose to walk hand-in-hand into the theater.

They sat down next to each other in the screen, Dean's family sitting around them. Castiel's sister, Hannah, was of course in attendance, but as the two were still pretending not to know each other, she was sat with the other studio big shots in another part of the cinema screen.

“It's going to be okay,” Castiel whispered to Dean as the lights went down. “Whatever happens.”

Dean swallowed. “Whatever happens,” he repeated, tightening his grip on Castiel's hand.

 

*******

 

Two hours and 19 minutes later the end credits started to roll.

The gathered audience of press, actors, and various other companions, were applauding, as was to be expected regardless of what they'd just seen.

Bobby leaned over from his seat behind Dean.

“I thought you said this _wasn't_ horse porn?”

Mary let out a giggle.

“It wasn't horse porn!” Dean huffed back under his breath.

“There was a damn breeding bench in Castiel's character's house.”

“No,” Castiel explained, “that was an article of furniture the centauricorns use to sit down on more comfortably. Or so they told me anyway.”

“It was a damn horse breeding bench, I'd swear on my mamma's grave,” John helpfully added, apparently close to laughter himself.

“Wait, so, Dean's character was a half-centauricorn thingy?” Sam added in a confused tone. “And so he appeared human but really he was top-half centaur, bottom half... human? But somehow without the,” Sam mimed the unicorn horn all the centauricorns had, “horn?”

“How were you pregnant at the end?” Mary pondered.

“I wasn't pregnant! What are you on about, mom?”

“You were rubbing your stomach a lot, and it did look rounded,” Sam snickered.

“That's because I went off my diet, I was just bloated from eating 20 buffalo wings before that take! Cas, tell them my character wasn't pregnant!”

“Well... that would make sense with the whole closing line,” Castiel replied slowly, looking equally puzzled by what they'd just watched.

“HA! Exactly,” Sam said with great glee. “The whole bit where Cas' character holds your character and then Missy goes _I suppose now, they're no longer... the last of their kind,_ ” he said mimicking Donna's accent almost perfectly.

“That wasn't about me being _pregnant_.” Dean wasn't sure what it _was_ about but he didn't think that was what happened. “I read the script, that wasn't in the script.”

“There's no female centauricorns because they're all gynandromorphs! Why else were there no females?” Sam pointed out. “You were totally pregnant by the end. You were a pregnant half-centuaricorn, starting the job of repopulating the centauricorn population.”

“I'll give you this much: damn entertaining film, son. It was so fucking crazy it must be genius,” John praised.

“And if the movie effects are anything to go on – you've caught yourself a real treat south of the boarder with Castiel, Dean. Congratulations to you on that,” Mary added with a wink at her son.

Dean groaned at his mom complimenting his boyfriend's cock on the sly.

Despite everything though, inside he felt warm and happy – which was not how he expected to feel watching the intentional disaster that was _The Last of Their Kind_.

With his family around him, laughing, getting along, he felt like he could achieve anything, even the next few weeks of doing international press for a movie he didn't understand.

And it would be all the better, knowing he had Castiel by his side, now, then, and hopefully forever.

 

_The End_

 

*******

**_Epilogue_ **

 

Reviews for _The Last of Their Kind_

 

**_Becky, for MrsSamWinchester.com:_ **

> Do not see this movie. I went hoping to give Dean Winchester a fair chance to show he's more than just Sam Winchester's older, less good looking brother. If anything, I learned he's _still_ just an inferior genetic relation.
> 
> I'm petitioning the studio to make a film about Sam Winchester as a centauricorn. Please click _here_ to demand that they make a film about Sam.
> 
> We the undersigned demand to see Sam Winchester given his own chance to shine as a shirtless, horse-human-unicorn hybrid with his rock-solid man meat on show. His beautiful chestnut hair dancing in the wind as he gallops across fields...

 

 

**_Malcom, for metatron.com:_ **

> From rumors of the film's struggle to completion, I was expecting an out right _disaster_.
> 
> The film is too long, too self-indulgent, and relies too heavily on CGI that is, upon contemplation, likely to get it at least an Oscar nomination for special effects.
> 
> That being said: I cannot say that I hated it.
> 
> As I sit here reflecting on what I just watched, I have to say it was... genius, and perhaps, one might even go as far as to say, one of the most brilliant pieces of cinema of recent years.
> 
> My fellow critics may disagree, but to those who dismiss this I say: You simply do not understand the subtle complexities of such a film.
> 
> Minds lesser than mine would perhaps not fully _get_ what was happening.
> 
> I have never been a fan of Dean Winchester's work, but he has at last come into his own propped up by a strong ensemble cast. His co-stars all give exceptionally strong performances, especially, for my money, Jody Mills as the human centauricorn hunter who convinces the other humans of their wrong-doings.
> 
> Preview ticket sales for the film have jumped through the roof since news of Dean Winchester's off-screen relationship to Castiel (no last name, how _mysterious –_ not! You're not Cher!) broke with fans flocking to see the film that they supposedly fell in love during the shooting of.
> 
> Don't be surprised if the sequel is announced soon. 

 

“Can you stop reading those reviews?” Castiel said dryly as Dean continued to laugh raucously while scrolling through a compilation of reviews he'd been emailed by his agent.

“I just find it hilarious!” Dean snickered. “The film was nonsense yet the critics and bloggers seemed to love it. Like they've never heard of _The Emperor's New Clothes_ or somethin'.

“Did they literally just give the editing team a bunch of drugs before they put it together?” he asked Castiel. 

“Er, maybe not a _bunch_ , a handfull or so though...” 

Dean's head flew back as he laughed heartily.

“And everyone saying we fell in love while filming this? I didn't even meet you until after!” Dean couldn't stop laughing. The whole thing was so absurd, but he felt so much relief that the feedback was middling to good for the most part.

“The graphics were very convincing,” Castiel said with a coy smile.

“Is Hannah pissed the film won't be the massive disaster they were hoping for?”

“It still might be,” Castiel explained. “Critical success doesn't mean commercial – and they did spend _a lot_ of money on it.”

“I've had so many offers since it was publicly released in the US.” Dean felt a little guilty he hadn't told Castiel this yet.

They were sat in their hotel room slowly packing up, reading to return to the US. Their world tour for promoting the film finally finished.

“Well, six serious offers anyway,” he clarified.

“Are you tempted by any of them?” Castiel had no hint in his voice as to if he thought this was a good or bad thing.

“Well... perhaps one of them. There's a TV series that looks interesting. About a guy who hunts _unnatural_ things. It films in Canada...”

“I've never spent all that much time in Canada. Sounds fun, we should make some bookings to look at houses in the area.”

Relief took over Dean. _We_.

“You'd be happy to join me? What about your theater work? What about your _charity_ work? And all the other adventures you'd miss out on?” Deam rambled on, nervously. 

Castiel smiled lovingly at Dean.

“There's people to help in Canada as well. My life doesn't have to go on pause just because we spend a few months of the year in Canada.

“And being with you, Dean, don't you see? That's the real adventure.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on tumblr as [perfackles](http://www.perfackles.tumblr.com/) or [coconutice22](http://www.coconutice22.tumblr.com/) for my personal blog.
> 
> Written as part of spncoldesthits (where all the coolest hits in town hang out). The prompt for the month was centaurs or reverse centaurs. I'm going to be laughing over this one for a long time to come. Rules and regulations can be found [here](http://spncoldesthits.tumblr.com/post/155157656695/januarys-prompt-posting-dates-15-18th-of)
> 
> Title comes from part of a song in _The Producers_. I only realised about halfway through writing this that I had accidentally stolen the plot of that. Mostly because I didn't actually know what the plot was going to be of this fic. I had about a dozen ideas but the one that stuck was "What if the movie is terrible and people only go to see it because Dean and Castiel apparently fell in love while filming, BUT! they didn't actually meet on set?" And then I had to figure out how that could be a thing. 
> 
> I'm still not sure what the plot was of "The Last of their Kind". I tried not to think it through too hard so that I could just write whatever I liked without having to fear continuity. I just knew I wanted it to end on an ambiguous tone whether or nor Dean's character was pregnant (or, if he's just bloated as he insists, heh).


End file.
